privileged
UK[ˈprɪvəlɪdʒd]US[ˈprɪvəlɪdʒd]
adj
having special rights, advantages, or immunities.
adj
(of information) legally protected from being made public.
adj
having been granted a special advantage in life, especially through wealth or social background.
Morpheme Breakdown
privi
leged
privi
private, individual
leged
Etymology
the word 'privileged' originates from the latin 'privilegium', meaning 'a law for or against a private individual', from 'privus' (private) and 'leg-, lex' (law). it entered middle english via old french 'privilege', denoting a legal ordinance or advantage granted to an individual. the modern adjective 'privileged' evolved to describe the state of possessing such a private legal advantage or benefit, extending metaphorically to encompass any special right, advantage, or favorable circumstance not available to everyone.
Analysis
Structure: privi + leged
privi (from latin 'privus', meaning 'private, individual'); leged (from latin 'lex, legis', meaning 'law', here forming a past participle suffix '-ed' indicating a state or condition).
Examples
only a privileged few had access to the exclusive club.
the lawyer could not disclose the privileged communication between her and her client.
he was acutely aware of his privileged upbringing compared to his peers.